Traveling, Traveling, Traveling!

So, we’ve missed some blogs becasue of the speed of the Internet. We’ve been traveling, traveling, traveling and NOT missing anything except for reflecting. At night we fall into bed and might manage to read a page or two.
NIck’s birthday (February 14) found us flying to Bahir Dar where we were met by our intrepid and excellent guide, Cheru.  We were soon off for a visit to Lake Tana, the Blue Nile Falls, and the source of the Nile. We drove out of Bahir Dar on a magnificent road but soon found ourselves bumping along on gravel, sharing the road with people, donkeys, sheep, and goats.

Arriving at the Fall’s office we hiked back past a village, were ferried acros the river, through a pasture, and a field of volcanic rock to behold the Blue Nile thundering down into the river. The river flows through a gorge that is traversed by a suspension bridge. We were lucky enough to see a donkey train cross the bridge. Also on our trek to the falls we were able to watch a weaver and take a few photos.

All along the way were many beautiful children who were selling various items. We had been warned not to buy from children becasue the money keeps them from going to school. We were also asked to harden our hearts and not give to mothers with babies. It seems that often these babies are not their own. We can give to the elderly and disabled. We’ve tried to take that advice becasue we can see as a tourist from Holland said, “A culture can be easily corrupted by tourism.”

The morning found us on a boat on Lake Tana and later the Blue Nile.

Busy Busy Addis

The World According to Dennis:
Our friend Sue Kosmoski flew in last night to join us ten days in Ethiopia from Chicago (via Turkey).  After visiting us, Sue will continue on in Africa with a camping safari in Tanzania while we explore more of the smaller towns in Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa is unlike anywhere I’ve ever been. The city is large, at least six million people but unlike Viet Nam, lots of cars and few motorbikes, and millions of people walking everywhere, all the time, in all directions with few traffic lights or traffic control.  Picture New York City at rush hour with no crosswalks and pedestrians in control, not the cars.  They seem to “dare” the vehicles.  Get the picture?

Then there’s the Mercado (market) with a million people selling and buying everything and anything you might need or want.  Mix in another 500,000 cars, bikes, carts, donkeys, dogs, folks, and maybe gypsies, tramps, and thieves (thought I’d toss that in, thanks Cher) all milling around seemingly oblivious of each other—mass hysteria of movement, smells, colors, and humanity.  There we were in a Toyota van with our guide, Haile and driver Millian, doors locked and I asked, “Are we going to get out and walk around?” Haile smiled at me and said, “I wouldn’t.” I took that as a hint to hunker down in my seat, face plastered against the window with people on the outside doing the same.

From another point of view—
Dennis is right (not only did I say it, I’m writing it). Ethiopia is a different world with an ancient unique culture. Addis is a mix of tradition and zest for innovation and new development.  New buildings are going up all over the city. The scaffolding used is what I remember from 1967, eucalyptus poles.
The new prime minister Abiy Ahmed has given hope to much of the country. Cross your fingers for his success. Expectations for him are high and the challenges are great. I can’t imagine who would envy his job and I do hope for his success in navigating all of the complex hopes and desires of the people. In the meantime energy is high and we are loving our experiences and learning so much as we move through the country.

Where’s the Camera??

The World According to Dennis:
The best photos opps always happen when the camera or cell phone aren’t handy. Let me explain.We had just been dropped off at the airport in Da Nang to catch our flight to Ethiopia. We were using the elevator to get to departures and Cindy was wheeling her suitcase in first. She had the handle up with her smaller case over the top and was pushing the whole thing from behind when she hit the lip on the floor.  I watched it happen in slow motion. The suitcase started to fall forward and she’s trying to pull it back up from behind.  As she tries to pull it up, she straddles it and next she’s running into the elevator trying to stay upright.  It was hilarious!  It was better than watching a rodeo! I couldn’t stop laughing.  Needless to say, she didn’t think it was nearly as funny as I did and as she got up with her suitcases now in hand, she growled, “Thanks for the help, Sweetheart.” It might have been a different endearment but I choose to remember it this way. Wish I could have gotten a picture.  You’d have loved it.

One other pic I missed was of a little Vietnamese toddler about 18 months old. We were in line and he was toddling and crawling around on the floor between our legs. Then he stood up, craned his neck back to look up at Cindy, and put both of his arms around her legs in a hug with the biggest smile on his face. He found a grandma. Everybody in line smiled. You couldn’t help it. I admit, it was much cuter than when she rode her suitcase.  See ya in Ethiopia...

Cindy’s Notes:
No comment on the first paragraph.
The little boy was adorable. Big dark eyes full of trust, big big smile, just angelic.  I wish we’d gotten a photo too. What a memory!

Tam Biet Vietnam

Our last guide, Sing told us that we are travelers because we want to see how people live, we want to experience the life, know how they feel, what they think.  According to him we are not tourists because they want to see everything in one day. We both liked that thought.
We flew from Da Nang to Ho Chi Min City yesteday. Tonight we are on our way to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We entered Saigon’s district 1 going past the cathedral and the Post Office through a blaze of Tet lights, gorgeous yellows, greens, white, streaming down from the trees with huge flowers marking the roads.

Our hotel is the Silverland Sakyo and is very pretty.  The roof top bar has a hot tub and a cool tub for soaking.  We enjoyed an hour or two up there before going to our room.  We have a late check out so we went for a short walk this morning and will have tea before we leave for the airport.  We’re flying an airline that’s new to us so are a little anxious since I can’t figure out the website and our travel agent, Debbie had a challenge too.  So cross our fingers, all will be well and tomorrow we’ll be in
Ethiopia!

A very big thank you to Funny Travels for making this wonderful trip possible and to Sue and Nancy for suggesting them.  We loved it!! 

Living the Life in Hoi An

I’m writing the draft of this with a pen given to me by a young man in the airport at Osaka.  I was trying to find a store that sold pens.  He bowed and presented me with this one. In Hue our guide, Harry presented us with “Happpy Money” to ensure that our new year would be one filled with prosperity and health. We were given two bags of peanuts when we bought a bottle of brandy and wine (don’t focus on this) by a young couple who ran the store.We were given more Happy $ when we spent the day at Tra Que Village.  The generosity we have encountered on this trip has humbled us.  We deeply realize how fortunate we are and how the accident of birth does not make us deserving. All of the people we have encountered have enriched our journey.  We only hope we have left positive feelings behind us.

Hoi An is a UNESCO Heritage site. It is filled with beautiful old buildings and temples as well as thousands of tourists.  Funny Travel has arranged experiences for us that take us away from the usual bustle of the historic district. I will admit though that I have found time for shopping.  I cannot resist a shirt for $10.00 that would be at least $90.00 at home.

We have had a foot massage, a cooking class, a ride in a bamboo boat, a gorgeous lunch that we helped prepare, all with our fantastic guide Jessica. How will I ever forget Dennis doing a song and dance while planting? If you see him on the Font Nine singing and dancing as he waters his flowers, you’ll know where he learned the routine.

And what a chef he is! He can flip Banh Xeo with the flick of a wrist.  This sizzling pancake is made with rice flour, water, and turmeric, vegetables and meat, if desired. My first Banh xeo landed on the floor! What a photo that

would have made.

Our second full day in Hoi An we had another terrific guide, Sing! He turned out to be Jessica’s husband (which I guessed). We went to My Son to see the Champa ruins.  Sing helped us understand the Indian goddess Shiva and the temples, houses and gates that can be seen here.

Once back in Hoi An Sing ordered a delicious lunch for us and then we headed for the river. the pottery village of  Thanh Ha was a highlight where Dennis gambled and lost 10,000 Dong! (50 cents)— Oh My Buddha!!

Tomorrow we head to Saigon, tearfully leaving the small towns and villages of Viet Nam behind us. What memories we have made!

The World According to Dennis:
Short conversation with D. Marv today. Cindy did a great job of summarizing what we did and I don’t want to write any more (but she forces me!!).  While she shopped for scarves, I sat outside the shop on the doorstep (just so you know, I HATE shopping!!) If I need underwear I buy it and leave. No shopping! So I sat on the stoop and a lady sat next to me, put her arm around me and asked if I’d like to buy a bag of peanuts.  After a lot of hand gestures pointing to my fat stomachs and trying to convey I just ate lunch, she led me to believe she could help. With chopsticks, she put a small chip if what I thought was coconut into my mouth—to settle my stomach!?? Holy s—t!! It must have been a combo of wasabi and tobasco!! After the top of my head blew off, she laughed, gave me a smile and moved on...I think to her next victim.  I bet she’s still laughing. Me too...what a great story to tell...more to come.

Once Upon A Time in Viet Nam

The World According to Dennis:
I really enjoyed today— we changed the itinerary a bit and left Hue headed for the DMZ. First we stopped in Quang Tri Province. Here, a US military base was positioned to observe  North Viet Namese activity near the DMZ, the 17th Parallel. Next stop—the Dakrong Bridge on Highway 15.  This was one of the main branches of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which headed south toward “Hamburger Hill” (see Clint Eastwood film for dramatization of the action).

Driving on, we entered the town of Khe Shan, which housed a large Marine Base in 1968.  The base camp is no longer there but there are remnants of bunkers, burned out US aircraft, army vehicles and a museum of the North Vietnamese victories over the south and their allies.  The propaganda is directed at the US and bad South Vietnamese troops to show them the error of their ways.

Next stop was the actual 17th Parallel and the bridge between the North and the South of Viet Nam.  Today, you can walk South to North or vice versa.  During the war, no one crossed the bridge.  Troops (North & South) manned their respective sides and if anyone tried to get across that bridge, they died. I stood in the middle of the bridge today and thought, 55,000 Americans and more than 1 million Vietnamese lost their lives defending this border, this bridge. Today, people from north and south Viet Nam, pass freely. Why did all these people from North and South Viet Nam, the US, Australia, and South Korea lose their lives? Why were so many physically and mentally disabled? This is the question I hope to reconcile, at least in my mind in returning to Viet Nam. I’m learning, getting closer but as in other paradoxes I’m finding there is no one specific cause and unlike medicine, not one specific answer. Why/how did this happen?

Bartender? I’ll have another brandy and reader, thanks for listening (reading).        

Ninh Bin

In 1998 Dennis and I attended an Adventure & Travel Show in Chicago. At that show we met the owners of Thompson Safaris and in 1999 we went with them to Kilimanjaro and then on safari in Tanzania. At this show we also met two men who were promoting tourism in their country of Viet Nam. We were awed by that. It was only thirty years earlier that Dennis was drafted and sent by our government to Viet Nam. Even in 1967 he found the country to be a beautiful place but one of which he knew very little.

In 2017 he returned for the second time. We visited all of the major cities and stayed in an AirBnB in Vung Tau near where he had disembarked 50 years earlier. We very much enjoyed the trip

Lunch in Ninh Bin

but he didn’t have a chance to visit the small villages he remembered. So here we are again.

Today in Ninh Binh we had a very lovely lunch at a home which does a small business serving meals to 6 - 8 tourists at a time. The lady told Tommy our intrepid guide that a North Vietnamese soldier lived just next door. While we ate Tommy and our host paid him a visit. After lunch we had tea with Bui Van Thong in his living room.

Dennis showed him an album of pictures from Viet Nam in 1967. Bui knew just where he had been as he had come down from the north to fight the Americans in the south. Bui was 15 years old in 1972 when he was fighting in the south.

His cause, fighting for independence and the reunification of his country was so much more powerful than what our drafted soldiers carried with them. 

As an outsider, seeing Bui looking at Dennis as a young soldier and telling him how handsome he was, was an extraordinary moment. I was taking photos and videotaping. I was unusually nervous because I wanted to do such a good job. I got some great shots of the underside of the coffee table and sown the hallway.

The World According to Dennis:

OK guys, I’m starting to think dementia is kicking in big time. Hopefully, it’s just sensory overload. I had to check our itinerary to remind me where we were and what we saw yesterday. Two days ago? If I say we visited a pagoda, I’d be safe. I think we’ve visited about 236 pagodas and seen Buddha in every size, shape and facial expression: smiling, grinning, winking, scowling, grimacing, and sulking. I think I can say that me and the Buddha are now “buds.” We know each other well but I believe he’s seen enough of me and me of him.  Don’t get me wrong. We’re friends but even friends need a little space every now and then.  

After lunch yesterday, I made a new friend. I mentioned to Cindy once that I’d like to be able to talk with a North or South Vietnamese soldier (but one who fought for the North) to see what they were going through then and now. I was in Viet Nam in 1966-1967. Cindy mentioned it to our guide Tommy at lunch.  Tommy left the table to talk with our host. He came back later and said the host’s neighbor was a former North Vietnamese regular and he would ask him if he would like to talk with me and he agreed. Cindy, Tommy, and I walked next door and I met Bui Van Thong. Bui was 15 in 1972 and related how he had fought in the same area I did but 5 years later. With Tommy’s help I was able to ask a number of questions I’ve wondered about since leaving there in 1967.

It was a memorable meeting. Bui was very friendly and gracious as he related his experiences. Fifty years later, we were now just two grandpas who could share our thoughts about what once was, now is, and part, shaking hands as friends. I believe life is “making memories” and thanks to Cindy, Tommy, and Bui I’ve made another one that will last for the rest of my life.